Photos: Thousands in Los Angeles evacuate as wind-fueled Palisades Fire quickly worsens

A woman stands outside a car with flames in the background and smoke all around. — A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Etienne Laurent/AP

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More than 30,000 people in Los Angeles County have been ordered to evacuate as the Palisades Fire, one of several wildfires that broke out on Tuesday morning, blazed through the Pacific Palisades community.

Fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, the fire has spread over more than 2,900 acres and threatened 13,000 structures; California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during an afternoon press conference that he's already seen many of them destroyed. The fire remains uncontained.

Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the blaze on foot in the hillsides of the Santa Monica Mountains, where the fire originally broke out, as well as by plane, dropping water and flame retardant. In the Pacific Palisades community, thousands of people have scrambled to escape the flames. According to LAist, video footage showed drivers on the Pacific Coast Highway fleeing their cars to the ocean, at the behest of officers.

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Additionally, a second major wind-driven fire was burning Tuesday night in Los Angeles County as fierce Santa Ana winds roared across the region. The Eaton Fire had destroyed 400 acres in Altadena, north of Pasadena — an area bordering the Angeles National Forest.

Evacuations have been ordered. "High winds were driving rapid fire growth, posing a significant threat to nearby communities and making containment efforts challenging," CalFire said. "Firefighters are working aggressively to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions. The combination of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion."

Conditions were changing quickly Tuesday night as evacuation areas shift alongside the fire. Officials warned that the Santa Ana winds were only going to get worse on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, reaching 100 mph or more. The National Weather Service warned of a "particularly dangerous situation."

"Very strong gusts and low relative humidity will allow any fires that develop to spread VERY rapidly," the agency added. On Wednesday, that's predicted to affect Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

You can find the latest information about the fire's reach and damage from member station LAist.